Mission Produce under way with construction of new avocado packing facility

May 28, 2014

Mission Produce Inc., based in Oxnard, CA, is under way with the construction of its new packing facility in Oxnard.

The new building will serve as Mission's avocado packing facility as well as a ripening and forward-distribution center. By the end of 2014, the site will feature 180,000 square feet of new construction including 40,000 square feet of conditioned production space. The facility will have the capacity for more than 6,000 high cube pallets with segregation capabilities by temperature or commodity.

Forced-air cooling along with 20 refrigerated docks will ensure the highest level of cooling and cold storage inside the facility. The project has been designed with the most energy-efficient systems available including state-of-the-art refrigeration and controls, as well as full LED lighting and lighting controls. The rooftop will be equipped with a one-mega watt solar energy system to power the facility.

"The new Oxnard Packing Facility and Forward Distribution and Ripening Center has all of the newest fruit-handling technology, energy-efficient systems and operational efficiencies making it one of the most modern in the country," Jake Nixon, vice president of engineering and process improvement at Mission, said in a press release.

Completion of the operational packing plant and cooler areas are expected by early 2015. Construction of corporate offices will be the next phase of the project.

"As avocado consumption continues to increase at double-digit growth, Mission's facilities also need to expand to handle the added volume, whether it be local growth, imports or exports," Steve Barnard, president and chief executive officer of Mission Produce, added, in the press release. "This new facility will definitely take us to the next level, in addition to being energy efficient."

Mission, a global avocado packer-shipper, has operations in Mexico, Peru, Chile, New Zealand, Canada and the Netherlands, as well as the United States.